Domperidone use in Parkinson disease doubles mortality risk

According to a new study appearing in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Domperidone use in Parkinson disease may double mortality risk.

Dr. Simeonova Mand colleagues sought to examine the risk of all-cause mortality associated with domperidone exposure in Parkinson disease, PD and reached this conclusion.

The patients with Parkinson disease may use domperidone to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms and all such patients may unknowingly double the risk of all-cause mortality. This is pronounced in the first 30 days of domperidone exposure as compared to patients who have never used domperidone.

The researchers conducted a cohort study using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink database (1987-2011). They examined the safety of domperidone exposure in patients with Parkinson disease who have a predisposition to cardiovascular abnormalities, and the risk for all-cause mortality associated with domperidone.

The study included 5114 individuals without Parkinson's and 5114 patients diagnosed with Parkinson disease who were characterized by their domperidone exposure status: current, recent, past, or never. The present users were further subdivided according to their daily dose, duration of domperidone use, and concurrent use of other medications for treating Parkinson disease.

All the participants of Study were followed for ≥1 year, and the follow-up period was divided into 30-day segments. Risk factors were examined for all patients at the beginning of each 30-day period. The study's primary outcome, all-cause mortality, was assessed based on mortality codes established in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

It was found that current use of domperidone among PD patients was associated with a 2-fold increase in all-cause mortality as compared to patients never exposed to domperidone. In study participants with and without Parkinson's, all-cause mortality was found to increase with domperidone exposure, indicating that the risk for all-cause mortality may not solely be attributable to mechanisms of Parkinson disease.

The researchers concluded that current use of domperidone was associated with a 2-fold increased mortality risk in Parkinson disease, PD patients, as compared to PD patients that never used domperidone. The risk is highest in the first month of use and does not appear to be attributable to Parkinson disease PD alone.

For further reference log on to :

British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.13708